Bob and Jenny were on a scavenger hunt, of sorts, with their goal of finding seven different species of flowers. We were happy to be included in the search!

I think I warned you that flowers will abound this summer as a theme in most posts!


This is a common sight when with Jenny and Bob.
I do love merganzers!

Bob really wanted to share this Trillium as this is the only known one in Tahoe. This specie is native to temperate regions of North America and Asia, with the greatest diversity of species found in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States. It is thought that someone, many years ago, brought it here. What a find.




What surprised me the most was the extensive beaver damage found throughout the Creek. The history of beavers here is an interesting one. After extinction in the Sierra Nevadas, Castor canadensis were re-introduced to the Tahoe Basin between 1934 and 1949 in order to prevent stream degradation and to promote wetland restoration. Descended from no more than nine individuals from the Snake River in Idaho, these little guys are plentiful and busy.

The mild winter and drought, conditions are perfect for pests. The ones captured in this web are ones I had not seen before... Woolly aphids, sucking insects that live on plant sap and produce a filamentous waxy white covering which resembles cotton or wool. Interesting right?



Located just 6.4 miles from our cabin, this nature area provides us with an escape that nourishes! Being outside is being happy. I 💗 Tahoe even more.